1 GLT Listen to me, coastlands, and listen closely, distant peoples. Yahweh has called me from the womb, from the belly of my mother he invoked my name. BSB BSB: Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.
2 GLT And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me, and he has made me into a polished arrow; in his quiver he has concealed me. BSB BSB: He made My mouth like a sharp sword; He hid Me in the shadow of His hand. He made Me like a polished arrow; He hid Me in His quiver.
4 GLT And I said,“I have labored in vain, for emptiness and for{ mere} breath I have spent my energy, yet my justice{ is} with Yahweh, and my wages with my God.” BSB BSB: But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”
7 GLT Thus says Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, its Holy One, to the one whose life is despised, hated{ by} the nations, a slave of rulers,“Kings will see and arise, princes, and bow down, for the sake of Yahweh who{ is} faithful, the Holy One of Israel, for he has chosen you.” BSB BSB: Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”
8 GLT Thus says Yahweh,“At the time of favor I shall answer you, and in a day of salvation I shall help you and protect you and give you as a covenant of the people, to rebuild the land, to apportion the desolate inheritance, BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: “In the time of favor I will answer You, and in the day of salvation I will help You; I will keep You and appoint You to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to apportion its desolate inheritances,
9 GLT saying to the prisoners,‘Come out!’ to those in darkness,‘Show yourselves!’“Along the roads they will graze, and on all the bare slopes{ will be} their pasture. BSB BSB: to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They will feed along the pathways, and find pasture on every barren hill.
10 GLT They will not be hungry and they will not be thirsty; and the heat or sun will not beat on them, for he who has mercy on them will lead them and to springs of water he will guide them. BSB BSB: They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.
11 GLT Then I will make all my mountains into a road, and make my highways level. BSB BSB: I will turn all My mountains into roads, and My highways will be raised up.
12 GLT Behold, these will come from far away, and behold, some from the north and the west; and some from the land of Sinim.” BSB BSB: Behold, they will come from far away, from the north and from the west, and from the land of Aswan.”
13 GLT Shout for joy, heavens, and be joyful, earth, and break{ into} singing, mountains! For Yahweh comforts his people, and he will have compassion on his afflicted. BSB BSB: Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; break forth in song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, and He will have compassion on His afflicted ones.
14 GLT But Zion said,“Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.” BSB BSB: But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!”
15 GLT “Can a woman forget her baby{ or} have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even she may forget these, but I will not forget you. BSB BSB: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!
16 GLT Behold, I have inscribed you on my palms; your walls{ are} before me always. BSB BSB: Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.
17 GLT Your children are hurrying, those who destroyed you and ravaged you are going away from you. BSB BSB: Your builders hasten back; your destroyers and wreckers depart from you.
18 GLT Lift up your eyes around and see, they are all gathering, coming to you.{ As} I live”— the declaration of Yahweh—“for all of them like jewelry you will wear, and you will put them on like a bride. BSB BSB: Lift up your eyes and look around. They all gather together; they come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “you will wear them all as jewelry and put them on like a bride.
19 GLT “For your ruins and desolate places, and your lands of devastation, surely now you will be too cramped for the inhabitants, and your devourers will be far away. BSB BSB: For your ruined and desolate places and your ravaged land will now indeed be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away.
20 GLT Yet they will say in your ears, the sons of your bereavement,‘The place{ is too} cramped for us, make room for us, so we may live{ here}.’ BSB BSB: Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’
21 GLT And you will say in your heart,‘Who has borne these for me? When I was bereaved and barren, exiled and cast aside. And who has raised these? Behold, I was left alone; where did these come from?’” BSB BSB: Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. So who has reared them? Look, I was left all alone, so where did they come from?’”
22 GLT Thus says Lord Yahweh:“Behold, I shall raise my hand to the nations and to the peoples lift up my banner. And they will bring your sons in{ their} laps, and they will carry your daughters on{ their} shoulders. BSB BSB: This is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My banner to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.
23 GLT And kings will be your foster fathers and their queens your nursemaids; face{ to} the earth they will bow down to you and the dust of your feet they will lick; and you will know that I{ am} Yahweh; those who wait for me will not be put to shame.” BSB BSB: Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”
24 GLT Can the spoils be taken from the warrior, or can captives be rescued{ from} the fierce? BSB BSB: Can the plunder be snatched from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be delivered?
25 GLT For thus says Yahweh,“Even the captives of a warrior will be taken, and spoils of a tyrant will be rescued, and I shall contend with your contender, and your sons I shall save. BSB BSB: Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.
26 GLT And I shall feed your oppressors their flesh; and as wine, on their blood they will get drunk. Then all flesh will know that I, Yahweh,{ am} your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” BSB BSB: I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.